Handiaoerhuang

01 · Historical Records

Han diao erhuang originated in the mountain songs, herding songs and folk songs of the Hanjiang river basin in southern Shaanxi. In the early Qing dynasty it came under the influence of Qinqiang opera and absorbed tunes such as kunqu, chuiqiang and gaobozi, and, blended with the local dialect, it formed an independent vocal genre; it was originally accompanied by two flutes, the flute having bamboo as its 'reed', hence the name 'erhuang', and to distinguish it from 'jing erhuang' it is also called 'tu erhuang' ('native erhuang'). Research has established that Han diao erhuang was formed comparatively early, that the other pihuang vocal genres in different places all have a common origin with it, and that it has exerted an unmistakable influence on the formation and development of Chuanju (Sichuan opera), Huiju (Hui opera), Peking opera and others.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Han diao erhuang, also called Shaan erhuang or Shan erhuang, is the second largest operatic genre of Shaanxi, and it circulates in Ankang, Hanzhong, Shangluo and Xi'an in Shaanxi as well as in parts of Sichuan, Gansu and Hubei. It originated in the mountain songs, herding songs and folk songs of the Hanjiang river basin in southern Shaanxi; in the early Qing dynasty it came under the influence of Qinqiang opera and absorbed tunes such as kunqu, chuiqiang and gaobozi, and, blended with the local dialect, it formed an independent vocal genre; it was originally accompanied by two flutes, the flute having bamboo as its 'reed', hence the name 'erhuang'. To distinguish it from 'jing erhuang' it is also called 'tu erhuang' ('native erhuang'). The subject matter of these plays is drawn for the most part from Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Investiture of the Gods and other historical stories and folk legends; among the representative repertoire are Wen Ji Bian Qin (Cai Ji's Cangue Zither Examined), Hu Jia Shi Ba Pai (Eighteen Songs of the Nomad Flute), Zhan Chi You (Fighting the Chiyou), Chang Bai Cao (Tasting the Hundred Herbs), Huang Tian Dang (Yellow River Rapids), Qing Feng Ting (The Clear Wind Pavilion), Er Du Mei (The Second Bloom of the Plum), Da Long Peng (Fighting on the Dragon Stage) and Liang Hongyu. Its role types are divided into ten in all — mo, jing, sheng, dan, chou, wai, xiao, tie, fu and za — its performance is marked by delicacy and precision, and its singing joins the true and the falsetto voice, lingering and melodious. The sheng and laodan roles are generally sung in the true voice, the dan in the falsetto, and the jing uses the 'tiger voice'. Its vocal music is centred on xipi and erhuang: xipi is used for cheerful, open emotions and scenes, erhuang for sorrowful and solemn ones, and the two are alternated in singing according to the needs of the plot, giving rise to a division between the 'sweet tone' and the 'bitter tone'. The string section of the accompanying band uses huqin, erhu, yueqin, sanxian, ruan, suona, dizi and laba, while the percussion section uses yaban, bangzi, baogu, jiangu, gong and naoba and the like. Research has established that Han diao erhuang was formed comparatively early, that the other pihuang vocal genres in different places all have a common origin with it, and that it has exerted an unmistakable influence on the formation and development of Chuanju (Sichuan opera), Huiju (Hui opera), Peking opera and others.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

In the course of its development Han diao erhuang formed the Ankang, Hanzhong, Shangluo and Guanzhong schools, and famous actors appeared in succession.

Other submitting regions for the same item: Handiaoerhuang.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Han diao erhuang has a rich traditional repertoire: in Ankang alone there are more than twelve hundred plays, of which 420 whole plays and 517 excerpt plays (zhezi xi) have been excavated and collated. Han diao erhuang has an unusually large number of facial-makeup designs, more scrupulously worked out than those of Peking opera or Qinqiang opera; more than four hundred and fifty have been collected so far. In recent years the audience for Han diao erhuang has fallen away sharply, difficulties have arisen economically, and the genre has steadily declined; professional troupes have been disbanded one after another, and at present only a single troupe, in Hanbin district of Ankang, still maintains performances — and that one remaining troupe too is on the point of being dissolved. In these circumstances it is necessary to call out loudly that this ancient genre should be rescued and protected as quickly as possible. Wang Fayun (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Female, Han, born in 1941, a native of Ankang, Shaanxi Province. Wang Fayun began work at the Ankang Han opera troupe in 1958 and studied traditional Han opera under Zuo Yugui, specialising in daomadan; in 1960 she became a pupil of the famous Shang Xiaoyun, and afterwards also studied under Liu Ping'an and Zhang Yukun. In a stage career of nearly fifty years Wang Fayun created close on one hundred characters, her performance solid and profound, delicate and fluent, and her representative works include Liang Hongyu, Hu Sanniang and Mu Ke Zhai. Representative inheritor of Han diao erhuang under the second national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage projects, and a national second-grade actor. Gong Shangwu (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han, born in 1937, a native of Hanyin, Shaanxi Province. Gong Shangwu began training at the age of ten in a private troupe society, learning percussion from Ai Dezhi; in 1951 he became a pupil of the famous actor Yuan Shenglu skilled in both civil and martial young-male roles, and became a professional actor of the Han diao erhuang troupe of Ankang, Shaanxi Province. Over his decades in the art, Gong Shangwu not only took full and systematic command of the professional knowledge of performance and of the skills of singing, but also carried on transmission work actively for many years, training successors. His foundation in performance is solid, and his vocal style high, impassioned, mellow and rounded. His representative repertoire includes Bai Men Lou and Si Lang Tan Mu. Representative inheritor of Han diao erhuang under the second national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage projects.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

• Wang Fayun 02-0523
• Gong Shangwu 02-0524
• Huang Caiping

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Handiaoerhuang (Ankang, Shaanxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Wang Fayun · National Representative Bearer Archive
3. Gong Shangwu · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗